The Suns simply do not have a “Plan B” offensive strategy to go to. If the pick and roll isn’t working the team gets stagnant really quickly. The P&R could work with another trigger man at another point on the floor, but Gentry seems content to go with what he’s installed without worry.

People constantly downplay the importance of Barbosa but this stretch without him really illustrates what he brings. Dragon is great but he is still young and learning. He cannot be counted on every night.

Also, about Amare’s defensive shortcomings, it is what it is. He will never be great on the defensive end. Some players are what they are. Ray Allen will always be able to shoot from outside of the arena but he will never be able to keep a guard in front of him.

What they’re going to have to do is try to patch up the defensive weaknesses of Nash and Amare with guys like Lou, Dudley, and the other youngsters. It’s a learning process but it has to be done.

Also, they’ve got to quit double teaming, (unless Nash is in trouble on the block). They’ve got to play guys straight up. Let the star get 60 every night but win by 9 instead of double teaming Eric Dampier or “Boobie” Gibson and getting blasted by 15.

Why can’t this team maintain a lead? Is it because we can’t defend?

At what point does Amare's unbelievably porous D cancel out his offensive gifts?

How many times did Amare get beat on a backdoor cut DESPITE not overplaying his man? It was mind boggling watching him get beat over and over. I'm a Cavs fan, so I was happy Cleveland pulled it out. But, being a basketball fan in general, Amare's D made me physically angry.

Mavs, even without Dirk, enfuriated the Cavs. Good teams, like the Mavs and Cavs, play with fire on the back end of a back-to-back, after a loss. We played the Cavs at the worst posdsible time. Somehow, after losing to the Knicks, we failed to come out confident and determined to avenge that loss.

The loss that we continue to suffer from, is the loss of the Brazilian Blur. Even the loss, at times, of STAT, despite our lack of capable big men, has not hurt our team nearly as much as those times we lose LB. With J-Rich, Tragic (more natural as a 2 guard), and even Tucker and a couple of wings who could play shooting guard (J-Dud and Grant Hill), one would not think we would play so poorly when LB is hurt. Nonetheless, we lose. I think we miss his clutch performance, his energy, and, most of all, his chemistry when playing with Nash. Best of all, we win when he does play and we're close to unbeatable when he starts along side Nash.

MUST start and ALSO finish with LB. Let's go SUNS!!!!